Sunday, August 2nd

The annual Washington wine grape harvest report, which was released Monday afternoon by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, indicates that for the first time in state history, a red wine grape is No. 1. In 2013, Cabernet Sauvignon production jumped 18.6 percent to 42,600 tons harvested last fall.

Gov. Bill Haslam's stance on the issue has warmed since the 2010 governor's race, when he expressed reservations about the proposal that would directly affect the Pilot Flying J truck stop chain owned by the Haslam family

Wine industry people on the move from February 25 to March 3-Appointments at National Grape & Wine Initiative Board, Shannon Ridge Family of Wines, Joseph Phelps, Sokol Blosser, Chateau Morrisette and more.

A property owner in the 1000 block of Mount Veeder Road has appealed the approval of a use permit for an adjacent winery, alleging that vineyard irrigation by the winery's owners caused her spring to run dry

Rhode Islanders could have wine shipped directly to their door under legislation pending before state lawmakers. The bill would allow wineries and wine retailers to ship up to 24 cases of wine a year to any resident aged 21 or older.

O'Neill Vintners & Distillers and Cecchetti Wine Company have announced a strategic partnership to combine the winemaking and sales functions of their respective national wine brands. The new business structure is designed to take advantage of the complementary strengths of each partner - O'Neill's winemaking and production expertise coupled with Cecchetti's sales and marketing prowess.

From planning, planting and nurturing vineyards to making professional-quality wine through packaging and profitable marketing of the product, the wine industry offers opportunity and challenges. New entrants to the field and veterans alike can benefit from education shared by experts, but not everyone can afford the time or financial commitments to attend degree programs.

The Santa Rosa City Council on March 4 is expected to allocate new funding to study allowing trucks to deliver high-strength wastewater directly to the Laguna Wastewater Treatment Plant, a potential boon for regional wineries, breweries and others that currently haul such waste to a treatment facility in Oakland.

Some thirsty, underage students in California soon may be able to sip on a nice chardonnay or a robust porter - legally. The reason is newly introduced legislation that would allow students enrolled in accredited wine- and beer-making programs to take a nip.

Wine drinkers moved closer to being able to pick up a bottle of their favorite at their neighborhood supermarket, as state lawmakers agreed Monday night to lift restrictions on sales in food stores. The Tennessee Senate voted to send wine-in-grocery stores legislation to Gov. Bill Haslam for signature, capping an often difficult seven-year debate that pitted grocery stores and their wine-loving customers against small business liquor store owners and the powerful distributors who have controlled alcohol sales in the state since the end of Prohibition.

The subject of our first case study, the SE Wine Collective in Portland, Oregon demonstrates the value of diverse income streams that maximize the Collective's "in town" location. Several other Portland-based wineries also show various approaches to success in this category, including Matello Wines, whose owner is a long-time restaurant industry veteran. His model emphasizes peer support, cost sharing, and managing a very tight financial leash.

Director Jason Wise's documentary Somm was one of the most buzzed about movies in 2012, and for good reason. Somm follows four sommeliers as they pursue the Master Sommelier exam, an exam with a notoriously low pass rate. The film is an intense, riveting ride, even for those out there who are not inclined towards oenophilia.

California is currently laboring under a brutal drought. It's not just a regional problem, either, considering how much of the nation's food the state produces. And so many farmers-including the Bronco Wine Co., makers of Two Buck Chuck-are turning to dowsers, a.k.a. "water witches."

There are many familiar faces in this year's poll, with Cakebread, Jordan, Duckhorn, Sonoma-Cutrer and Silver Oak taking the top five places in the list of most popular wine brands. Their enduring quality is confirmed by the fact that all five featured in the original top 50 list, published in 1990. The poll is also very much an American tale, with California providing the entire top 10 and American wines taking up the top 18 places.

The average man's sperm count in France has dropped significantly in recent years, and now experts are wondering if the wine industry could be to blame. According to The Local, a 2012 study shows that French men's sperm count dropped by about a third between 1989 and 2005. A recent follow-up study shows the most extreme drops in sperm count occurred in Aquitaine and the Midi-Pyrénées. Those are both significant wine-producing regions and are responsible for the production of France's prized Bordeaux wines, among others.

Repeated thermometer plunges near or below -20°C in Niagara - conditions not seen in years - are taking a toll on Ontario's orchards. And Vineland Estates, winemaker Brian Schmidt says it's cold-averse varieties like Merlot, Sauvignon blanc and Syrah that have suffered the worst. These varieties can endure bud damage at readings of -19°C or lower.

Diageo, the world's leading spirits, wine and beer company, and Wirtz Beverage Group, a leading distributor of the world's top luxury and premium wine, spirits and beer brands, today announced that they have signed an agreement naming Wirtz Beverage as the exclusive national broker for Diageo beer, wine, spirits and Ready to Drink (RTD) brands in Canada.

Binge drinking may shorten your life, even if your drinking is considered moderate overall, new research indicates. Many studies of moderate drinking have delved into how it affects health and mortality, but most haven't looked at patterns of drinking, explained study author Charles Holahan, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin.